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The blast tore apart Western Park stores, close to the junction with Westcotes Drive, at about 7pm.

A massive blaze broke out at the site within a couple of minutes of the explosion, which rocked houses in nearby streets.

Emergency services have been at the scene through the night.

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Leicestershire Police said this morning: "Four people are confirmed to have died in an explosion at a property in Leicester last night."

The force added that four more people remain in hospital, one of whom has serious injuries.

Hinckley Road, from its junction with Bolton Road to its junction with Woodville Road, is closed in both directions. Motorists are advised to avoid the area.

Superintendent Shane O’Neill said: “There are a large number of resources from various agencies at the scene in Hinckley Road and they are expected to be in place throughout the day.

“We know the explosion and subsequent fire will have caused considerable concern to residents and business owners in the area and we would like to thank people for their support and patience while teams continue with their work at the scene.

“There are four confirmed fatalities at this stage and a number of people still undergoing treatment in hospital. The building consisted of a shop premises on the ground level and a two-storey flat above it. We believe there may be people who have not yet been accounted for and rescue efforts continue in order to locate any further casualties.”

The explosion happened just after 7pm last night, with residents reporting hearing a "loud bang".

The building, now confirmed to be Polish store Zabka Leicester has been reduced to a pile of rubble by the blast, which led to a massive fire.

The shop is between Morgans bar and TJs takeaway and it is believed that a family of four were living in the flat above the shop.

No information has yet been released about the four people who died as a result of the blast, but Sir Peter Soulsby said one of the dead was a “young lad”.

He said: “It is a shop I am quite familiar with have popped in their a few times. What is terribly sad is that among the dead is a young lad.

“We will be looking to offer what support we can.

“I will be going to the scene at some point but at the moment I am monitoring the situation and letting the emergency services get on with their jobs.”

The cause is still under investigation.

There was sympathy for the victims of the blast at Polish Taste, a supermarket further down Hinckley Road, which has been open for about four years.

Marlena Kisprzak, who works there, said: “We heard it was another Polish shop but we don’t know anyone there.

“It’s very sad. It’s not good to hear about things like this happening.”

A teenager who was working in TJs takeaway next door to a shop which was reduced to rubble in the explosion explained how the ceiling collapsed on top of her.

Savannah George, 17, was on duty with her boss when the blast occurred at a convenience store in Western Park at about 7pm.

Savannah told Mirror Online here : "I just took a phone order and put it up with the others to be made, and the next thing there was a massive explosion.

"I just saw a load of rubble coming down.

"The ceiling in the shop next to me collapsed.

"If I was 50cm to the left, the rubble would have fallen on me.

"The takeaway boxes flew off the wall from the force and the ceiling in our store partially collapsed."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn paid tribute to those killed in the Hinckley Road explosion before delivering his key Brexit speech this morning.

Before outlining his party’s approach to Brexit at a speech in Coventry, he said: “I think we should pause for a moment and send our condolences to those who have lost their lives in Leicester last night.”

Mr Corbyn had earlier praised the efforts of the emergency crews working on scene.

He said in a tweet: “My thoughts are with the families of the four people who died and those injured in yesterday’s explosion in Leicester.

“Thank you to the emergency services who are still on the scene and hospital staff who are working to save lives.”